Five Reasons to Get a Professional Dental Cleaning

brush and floss every day and you’ve never had a cavity. So, when it comes to getting a professional dental cleaning, you’re in the clear, right? Not so fast. While twice-daily brushing and flossing are critical to your oral health, there remain multiple reasons to head to a dentist’s office for a real-deal dental cleaning. Here are five of them:

Gum disease: Also called periodontist, gum disease is an infection in the gum tissues and bone that keep your teeth in place. It’s also one of the leading causes of adult tooth loss and, if gone untreated, could lead to a slew of more serious health problems including heart disease and diabetes. Fortunately, gum disease is highly reversible, but only if it’s caught early. The best way to do that is via twice-yearly dental cleanings.

Oral cancer: Someone in America dies for oral cancer ever hour of every day, according to statistics from the Oral Cancer Foundation. When diagnosed early, it’s highly curable. And when your dentist is performing a cleaning, he’s also screening you for oral cancer.

Healthy babies: If you’re expecting or planning to become pregnant, getting routine dental cleanings to prevent gum disease is all the more crucial to both your health and your baby’s. Results of multiple studies suggest that gum disease might be a risk factor for pre-mature or low-birth-weight infants.

Bad breath: If your breath sends your significant other running the other way, chances are there’s a dental issue to blame. In fact, studies show that 85 percent of people with persistent bad breath have a dental problem of some sort, such as gum disease, plaque, tooth decay or xerostomia, better known as dry mouth.

Your smile: Signs of many of your daily nutritional and lifestyle choices can stick around in unsightly ways. Tobacco, coffee, tea and red wine stains are among the top culprits when your smile has lost its bright white gleam. Regular professional dental cleanings will polish your teeth to a beautiful shine.